From 15 Lemons to 850 Saplings: Pastor Thanks’ Small Seed Transforming a Zimbabwean Community

From 15 Lemons to 850 Saplings: Pastor Thanks’ Small Seed Transforming a Zimbabwean Community

Local   May 06, 2026

 

What began as a modest effort with just 15 lemons is now reshaping lives in a rural Zimbabwean community, offering a powerful reminder that small acts of faith can yield extraordinary results.

Drawing inspiration from Jesus’ teaching on the kingdom of God, Pastor Thanks has turned a simple idea into a growing movement of hope. “A single training session might seem insignificant compared to extreme poverty,” he said, “but God shows us that even the smallest start can change everything.”

Much like the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13, Pastor Thanks believes that faithfulness in small beginnings can lead to something far greater. “God takes our small acts of obedience and grows them into something that provides ‘branches’ for others,” he explained.

Starting with just a handful of lemons, he carefully planted and nurtured seeds that have now multiplied into 100 thriving lemon trees. His efforts didn’t stop there. Today, his nursery boasts an impressive 850 saplings of various types, each representing growth, resilience, and possibility.

The impact is already visible in the Dora community, where once-barren spaces are now dotted with trees offering shade, fruit, and renewed hope. “What started as one small nursery is now transforming our community,” Pastor Thanks said. “People are seeing that change is possible.”

The initiative has also been supported through Transforming Communities training, which emphasizes sustainable development rooted in faith and local action. “We are seeing God work in powerful ways,” Pastor Thanks noted. “Lives are being touched, and people are beginning to believe in a better future.”

His story stands as a challenge and an encouragement to others. “You don’t need much to start,” he said. “Just plant a seed—of faith, of kindness, of hope—and trust God to grow it.”

As the trees in Dora continue to flourish, so too does the message behind them: even the smallest seed, when nurtured with faith, can transform an entire community.

THE GRACE TO FORGIVE

THE GRACE TO FORGIVE

Daily teaching   May 05, 2026

 THE WORD IN 60 SECONDS

with Major Kudzai Marime 

Dz Extension Corps 

Harare West Division 

 

“Father, forgive us our sins, as we also forgive those who sin against us.”

Many times, we struggle to live out this prayer because of the depth of pain we carry.

Yet we are reminded that God forgave us and loved us while we were still sinners.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” — Ephesians 4:32

Forgiveness is not easy, but with God, it is possible.

Let us pray for the grace to truly forgive those who have hurt us, for in forgiveness, we find peace.

#RootedInPrayerAndCommitment  - Salvationist online

Daily Reflections with Bishop Vushebwashe Mhaka

Daily Reflections with Bishop Vushebwashe Mhaka

Daily teaching   May 04, 2026

 

*04/05/26 Monday Ezekiel 20:41.* _I will accept you as a pleasing aroma when I bring you out from the nations…_ *Context: Ezekiel 20:39–44.* Restored for Worship. 

God speaks to a rebellious people who had mixed worship with idolatry. Yet, instead of abandoning them, God promises restoration. The return from exile is not just geographical; it is spiritual. God gathers His people so that they may truly worship Him again.

This passage reminds us that God is not satisfied with divided hearts. Worship cannot coexist with idols whether those idols are power, success, or self. Yet grace prevails: God restores us not because we are perfect, but because He is faithful. We are restored for a purpose: to become a “pleasing aroma” before God. Our lives, our worship, obedience, and witness should reflect God's holiness. Examine your heart. What competes with God? Return to Him fully. He restores you so that your life becomes true worship. God does not restore us to comfort, but to consecrated worship.

The Daily Reflections follow scriptures as guided by the Lectionary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe.  Please like or follow our Facebook page Lutheran Church Sola Scriptura and Fraternal or invite your friends to do so

ZCC Salutes Workers’ Resilience in May Day Message

ZCC Salutes Workers’ Resilience in May Day Message

Local   May 04, 2026

 

*Zimbabwe Council of Churches statement on May Day Celebrations*

Today, we pay tribute to the hands that build our nation, the hearts that serve our people, and the enduring strength of every worker across Zimbabwe. Your commitment goes beyond daily toil. It is the bedrock of our communities and the promise of our shared future.

The Zimbabwe Council of Churches extends warm wishes for a blessed and restorative International Workers’ Day. May the Lord continue to bless and establish the work of your hands. 🇿🇼

#WorkersDay #Zimbabwe #FaithAtWork #InternationalWorkersDay #zccinzim #Service #FirstOfMay

THEME: I AM THE DOOR

THEME: I AM THE DOOR

Daily teaching   May 02, 2026

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” (John 10:9)

Beloved, a beautiful house without a door may impress, but none can enter. A sleek car or even a plane without a door remains admirable yet useless. The door is not decoration, it is necessity. Every door determines where you end up. The wrong door leads to the wrong destination. A locked door keeps you out. A broken door exposes you to danger. But Jesus is the door that defines your destiny. 

Many doors surround us: iron doors that rust, wooden doors eaten by ants, plastic doors that melt under heat. Human doors close and fail us, closing at night, closing after business hours, they close when people are tired, they close when people are offended, human doors reject others. But Jesus is the door that never closes, open at midnight, open in Crisis, open in confusion, open in failure and out of season. 

In every generation, many doors present themselves as pathways to fulfillment but they are counterfeit doors: pleasure without Jesus, philosophies promising life without Christ, riches that seem to satisfy. Some doors look beautiful, yet lead silently to destruction, even to the mortuary.

But Jesus says, “I am the door.” He is not a celebrity door seeking attention, but a humble, often overlooked door, yet eternally open. Many walked past Him because He did not look like the door they expected. He never closes, in any season or circumstance. He is the necessary door, the durable door, the door of destiny.

Through Him is salvation, freedom, and true pasture. He is the only access to eternal life and the hidden treasures of God. Enter through Him, and truly live.

To God be the glory 

Rev B Chinhara

Praying for others

Praying for others

Daily teaching   April 30, 2026

 

Dorcas Moyo -

Abraham ainge asina mwana naSarah but anonamatira Abimelech nemukadzi wake navarandakadzi vake kuti vagokwanise kubereka (Genesis 20:17). Mumarriage maAbraham mainge musina mwana but he prayed for others kuti vaite vana. Our prayers need to come to such levels. Zviri easy kuti chinhu chausina uzvinamatire kuti uchiwane but we need to move kuenda palevel yekuti you pray for umwe munhu kuti awane chinhu chausinawo newe iwewe. Uri rovha but unotonamatira mamwe marovha kuti awane mabasa. Uri murwere but unotomatira vamwe varwere kuti vapore. Once watanga kuita izvi nemoyo unorevesa you will notice how things will start to change in your life. Abraham achipedza kunamatira vanhu ava, next chapter (Genesis 21) Isaac anobva aberekwa. Who knows, your testimony inogona iri kuseri kwekunamatira vamwe vanhu than kungozvinamatira iwewe.

Job 42:10 inoti “Jehovha akashandura kutapwa kwaJobho nguva yaakanyengeterera shamwari dzake; Jehovha akapa Jobho zvaakanga anazvo pakutanga kaviri.”

Ipo pakunamatira mafriends ake, things started to change for Job.

Minamato yedu ngairege kungova yedu chete, asi ngatitangei kunamatira vamwe vedu. If you had already been doing it, then continue. There are many vari pachomanikidza who can’t pray for themselves, vanamatirewo. Kune vasingatogone kunamata kwacho, pray for them. Kune vaita give up, pray for them, even those who appear to be well or who are actually well. Pray for them. Let’s pray for everyone

SALT, PRESENCE, AND PURPOSE

SALT, PRESENCE, AND PURPOSE

Daily teaching   April 30, 2026

 THE WORD IN 60 SECONDS 

with Major Kudzai Marime 

Dz Extension Corps 

Harare West Division 

Salt isn’t the main ingredient, but its absence is obvious. The flavor is flat, and everyone notices.

It’s the same with Christ’s presence. After the resurrection, the disciples went fishing all night and caught nothing. That empty net reflected an empty space in their hearts - if only our Master was here.

Jesus heard that silent prayer. He appeared, asked about their catch, and with one authoritative instruction, their nets overflowed. His absence had been a blow to the team. His presence made everything beautiful again.

May our lives carry that kind of weight — that when we’re absent, people feel the difference for the better. Pray for a presence that points others to Christ and brings results that only He can give.

#RootedInPrayerAndCommitment  - Salvationist online

THEME: HELD BY MERCY WHEN WE DESERVE NONE

THEME: HELD BY MERCY WHEN WE DESERVE NONE

Daily teaching   April 29, 2026

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations (3: 22–23)

The mercy of God is His compassionate withholding of the punishment we deserve. It is love in action when we fall short, grace that meets us in our weakness, and kindness that restores us instead of rejecting us. Mercy is not earned, it is given freely by a loving Father who sees our struggles and chooses to lift us up rather than cast us away.

In our daily lives, God’s mercy operates quietly but powerfully. It shows up in second chances, in doors that open after failure, and in the strength to rise again when life feels overwhelming. When we are burdened by guilt, pain, or disappointment, His mercy speaks: “You are not finished.” It renews our hope, reminding us that our past does not define our future.

For the sorrowful heart, mercy is a healing balm. It whispers comfort in moments of grief and assures us that God is near to the brokenhearted. Even when we cannot see a way forward, His mercy sustains us, carrying us through storms we thought would break us.

Jesus Christ is the perfect example of God’s mercy. Through His life, sacrifice, and love, He showed us what divine compassion looks like. He forgave, healed, and restored without condemnation. In Him, we see mercy fully revealed, a mercy that saves, transforms, and gives us new life.

To God be the glory 

Rev B Chinhara